Sanitary drain siphon

ABSTRACT

A sanitary siphon providing a gas seal in the drain line of a washbasin, sink or other appliance, has an inlet tube extending down into a collecting vessel which is freely disposed in a casing having an outlet connected to the sewer and is tiltable in one direction from a normal upright position in the casing to empty the vessel and in the opposite direction to provide access through a closable opening in the casing for removal of any solid object that may accidentally have been dropped in the drain. The collecting vessel is tilted by means of an actuating knob connected with the vessel by a cam-actuating mechanism and is guided so as to tilt about a movable axis permitting a large angle of tilt without interference with the inlet tube.

United States Patent [72] lnventor 50 Field of Search I Meneglier G.Gaston Saint Marcel Les Valence, France [21] Appl. No. 52,921

[22] Filed July 7, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [73] AssigneeAlexandre Piq.

Pivas, France [32] Priority Feb. 27, 1967 [33] France [31] 96613 [54]SANITARY DRAIN SIPHON 16 Claims, 17 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 137/2162, l37/247.37, 137/588, 137/592 [51] Int.Cl E03c l/10llllll llllllllllll04 3114! Primary ExaminerHarold W. WeakleyAttorneysRobert E. Burns and Emmanuel .1. Lobato ABSTRACT: A sanitarysiphon providing a gas seal in the drain line of a washbasin, sink orother appliance, has an inlet tube extending down into a collectingvessel which is freely disposed in a casing having an outlet connectedto the sewer and is tiltable in one direction from a normal uprightposition in the casing to empty the vessel and in the opposite directionto provide access through a closable opening in the casing for removalof any solid object that may accidentally have been dropped in thedrain. The collecting vessel is tilted by means of an actuating knobconnected with the vessel by a cam-actuating mechanism and is guided soas to tilt about a movable axis permitting a large angle of tilt withoutinterference with the inlet tube.

SHEET 10F 5 PATENTEDum 19 l97l PATENTEDUET 19 Ian SHEET l 0F 5PATENTEUum 19 197i SHEET 5 OF 5 s ma , SANITARY DRAIN SIPI-ION Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 708,579filed Feb. 27, 1968 and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a simple and practical sanitary drainsiphon for use in the outlet of sanitary installations such aswashbasins, sinks or the like comprising a housing provided with aninlet and an outlet, a collecting vessel freely disposed in the housingso as to be tiltable between a normal upright position and anapproximately horizontal emptying position and mechanism for tilting thecollecting vessel.

Siphons in the discharge lines of washbasins, flush basins, sinks,washing machines, dishwashers and similar equipment have the function ofproviding a gas and water seal and to prevent clogging of the drain bysolid objects such as rings and the like. Moreover, such siphons shouldpermit the easy removal from time to time of any solid material that hascollected in the siphon in order to provide for the free flow of water.

Sanitary siphons have in general had the disadvantage that in order toempty and clean them it has been necessary to use special tools in orderto remove the under portion of the siphon whereupon a basin had to beplaced under the siphon in order to catch the water and any material inthe siphon. This procedure is unhygienic and a source of objectionableodors. Moreover, small objects such as rings which have been lost in thedrain can only be recovered through dismantling of the siphon.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoingdisadvantages by providing a sanitary siphon of simple constructionwhich permits emptying of the siphon as desired and the recovery of anysolid objects that may have accumulated in the siphon withoutdismantling the siphon.

In accordance with the invention the sanitary drain siphon comprises acasing having an inlet in the upper part, an outlet in the lower partand an access opening at one end provided with a removable closure. Animmersion tube extends downwardly from the inlet into a tiltablecollecting vessel freely disposed in the casing. An actuating cammechanism is provided for tilting the collecting vessel between anupright position in which it retains sufficient liquid to cover thelower end of the immersion tube so as to form a gas seal and anapproximately horizontal tipped position in which liquid is emptied fromthe vessel into the casing and the collecting vessel opens toward theaccess opening of the casing to permit removal through the opening ofany objects that may have accumulated in the collecting vessel.Preferably, the outlet is provided at the opposite end of the casingfrom the access opening and the collecting vessel is tiltable through anangle of approximately 120 to 180 from an approximately horizontalposition opening toward the access opening of the casing and anapproximately horizontal emptying position opening toward the outlet ofthe casing.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention an end wall of the casing isremovable and the collecting vessel is loose in the casing without anyfixed pivot and can easily be inserted in and removed from the casingthrough the end opening thereby facilitating assembly and maintenance.Means is provided in the casing for guiding the collecting vessel in itstilting movement so that it tilts about a movable axis amounting to acombined rotary and translatory movement. This permits tilting thevessel through an angle of approximately 120 to 180 without interferencewith the inlet tube which projects down into the vessel. The objects andadvantages of the invention will be more fully understood from thefollowing description of preferred embodiments shown by way of examplein the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of a sanitary drain siphon in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2. is a cross section taken approximately on the line Il-ll of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating schematicallydifferent positions of the actuating mechanism for tilting thecollecting vessel inside the casing;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views of a side of the collecting vesselshowing alternative means for guiding the vessel in is tilting movement;

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section taken approximately along the line VV in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of theinvention with portions broken away to show the interior;

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the sanitary drain siphon shown inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a section taken approximately along the line VIII- VIII inFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a section taken approximately along the line IX IX in FIG. 7showing a removable closure provided with a valve;

FIG. 10 is a section taken approximately along the line X- X in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the collecting vessel;

FIG. 12 is a section taken approximately along the line XIIXII in FIG.11;

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view ofa collecting vessel similar to FIG.11 but showing a modification;

FIG. 14 is a side view ofa cam for tilting the collecting vessel, and

FIG. 15 is a section taken approximately along the line XV-XV in FIG.14. In FIGS. 1 to 5 there is shown a sanitary drain siphon in accordancewith the invention comprising a watertight casing 1 having oppositeparallel sidewalls la and lb, a top wall 10, a bottom wall Id and an endwall 1e. The opposite end of the casing is formed by a removable plate 3which is held in place for example by screws 4 to provide a watertightclosure for the end of the casing. At approximately the center of thetop wall 10, the casing is provided with an inlet opening 13 surroundedby an upstanding collar 13a adapted to be connected, for example by athreaded or soldered connection, to the drain pipe or a washbasin, sinkor other appliance to which the drain siphon is to be applied. At thelower portion of the end wall Ie, the casing is provided with an outlet2 having a fitting 2a for connection to a discharge pipe 2b leading to asewer or other disposal system. The direction of flow of liquid into andout of the casing is indicated by arrows F. In the side wall 1b at theend of the casing opposite the outlet 2, there is provided an accessopening 5 which as will be explained later, permits removal of anyobjects that may accidentally have fallen into the siphon. The opening 5is closed by an easily removable watertight closure 50 which may, forexample be screwed into the opening or provided with a bayonet-typejoint and may comprise a transparent window for inspection of theinterior of the siphon.

Inside the casing 1 there is a catch basin or collecting vessel 7 havingtwo parallel sidewalls 8a and 8b which lie inside the parallel walls Inand lb of the casing with only a small amount of play, a bottom wall 10and two end walls and 9b which diverge upwardly and are of lesser heightthan the sidewalls 8a, 8b so that the upper edges of the end wallsdefine the normal liquid level in the vessel.

In the inlet opening 13 there is an immersion tube 11 that extends downinto the collecting vessel 7. An annular collar 12 at the upper end ofthe tube 11 seats on a shoulder of the opening 13 and provides afluidtight seal. The lower end of the tube 11 terminates a shortdistance above the bottom 10 of the Collecting vessel 7. An annular rimprojecting upwardly from the bottom 10 of the vessel 7 provides ashallow tray or trough 10a which is located below the immersion tube IIand is designed to catch and retain any solid articles falling downthrough the tube into the vessel 7. The lower end of the immersion tube11 has curved cutout portions Ila as seen in FIG. 2 so as to facilitateaccess to any objects that may have accumulated in the tray 10a when thevessel 7 is in position for removal of such objects as described below.

The collecting vessel 7 is tiltable in the casing 1 in acounterclockwise direction from the upright position shown in FIG. 2 toan approximately horizontal position facing the outlet opening 2 and isalso tiltable in a clockwise direction from the upright position shownin FIG. 2 to an approximately horizontal position facing away from theoutlet opening 2 and toward the access opening 5 for removal of solidobjects from the vessel. The range of movement is approximately 180although it may be somewhat less by reason of the divergence of the endwalls 9a, 9b of the vessel 7, it being sufficient to tilt the vessel ineach direction to a position in which the end wall which is then loweris approximately horizontal. Actuating means is provided for tilting thevessel 7 from one position to another, for retaining it in selectedposition and for guiding the vessel in its tilting movement.

Actuating means for tilting the collecting vessel 7 is shown in FIGS. 1to 5 as comprising a knob 6 nonrotatably secured, for example by atransverse pin 19, on the outer end ofa shaft 17 which extends through abearing bore in an approximately central upper portion of the sidewall1a of the casing 1 which is opposite the sidewall lb in which theopening 5 is provided. A plate 16 secured on the inner end of the shaft17 lies between the sidewall In of the casing and the adjacent sidewall8a of the collecting vessel 7 and has in its lower portion, below theshaft 17, a notch or recess 18, the edges of which form a guiding curvefor a cam which is provided on the outer surface of the wall 8a of thevessel 7 and is received in the recess 18 of the plate 16. Two differentpositions of the plate 16 are shown by way of example in FIG. 3. It willbe seen that as the plate 16 is turned about the axis of the shaft 17 bymeans of the control knob 6, the vessel 7 is correspondingly tilted bythe engagement of the cam portion 15 on the wall 8a of the vessel in therecess 18 of the plate 16.

Means for retaining the vessel 7 in a selected position is shown by wayof example in FIGS. 4 and 5 as comprising a spring 21 having endportions secured to the sidewall 1a of the casing l, for example bybeing received in openings 21a in projecting portions of the casingwall, and a central portion which is bent to form a radially projectingbow 22 engageable selectively in one or another of circumferentiallyspaced recesses 23, 23a and 23b formed on the inside of an enlargedskirt portion 6a of the actuating knob 6. The recesses are positioned sothat the bow 22 of the spring 21 engages in the central recess 23 whenthe vessel 7 is in an upright position as shown in FIG. 2. When thevessel is tilted in a clockwise direction toward the access opening 5,the bow 22 engages in the recess 230. When the vessel 7 is tilted in acounterclockwise direction toward the discharge opening 2 of the easing,the bow 22 engages in the recess 23b. The vessel is thus releasably heldin the position to which it has been turned. Moreover, the springengagement of the bow 22 in the recesses 23, 23a or 23b as the knob isbeing turned provides a tactile indication that one of the positions hasbeen reached. To indicate visually the position of the vessel 7 in thecasing, suitable indicator means is provided on the knob 6. Asillustrated by way of example in FIG. 4, one end of the transverse pin19 is extended to form a pointer 19a which by its position indicates theposition of the vessel 7 in the casing.

A suitable seal is provided to prevent leakage of water out around theshaft 17. In FIGS. 4 and 5 the seal is shown by way of example ascomprising a sealing ring 17a formed of rubber or other suitableelastomeric material and surrounding the shaft 17. A spiral springserves to compress the sealing ring and to compensate for any play thatmay be developed over a period of time in the use of the siphon.

Means cooperating with the actuating mechanism to guide the vessel 7 inits tilting movement is shown by way of example in FIGS. 3A and 38 ascomprising spaced guiding ribs 25 provided on the outside of thesidewall 8b of the vessel 7 opposite that on which the cam 15 isprovided. The guiding ribs 25 are cngageable with a flat raised disc 26on the inside of the adjacent wall 1b of the casing in alignment withthe axis of the shaft 17. The ribs 25 and disc 26 cooperate with oneanother and with the cam 15 and plate 16 at the opposite side of thevessel to guide the vessel in its tilting movement. In FIG. 3A, theguiding ribs 25 are shown straight and are vertical when the vessel isin an upright position while in FIG. 3B the guiding ribs are shown ascurves which diverge upwardly and downwardly. While the disc 26 has beenshown circular it will be understood that its shape can be modified toprovide the particular tilting movement desired.

Moreover, in FIGS. 2 and 3, means for guiding the vessel 7 in itstilting movement is shown as comprising guiding rails 14 on the bottomof the casing l. The rails 14 are curved upwardly at their ends and atthe end 1e ofthe casing they extend up above the outlet opening 2. Itwill be seen that the rails 14 hold the vessel 7 up off of the bottom 1dof the casing and also prevent it from assuming any position in which itwould block the outlet opening 2. The guiding means illustrated in FIGS.I and 2 and that illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 38 can be used together orindependently as desired.

The sanitary siphon illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 operates in thefollowing manner. In normal service, the collecting vessel 7 is uprightas shown in FIG. 2 and the actuating knob 6 is in its middle position inwhich the spring bow 22 engages in the middle recess 23. Water from thedischarge of the washbasin, sink or other equipment or appliance towhich the inlet of the siphon is connected flows in the direction of thearrow F through the immersion tube 11 into the collecting vessel 7 andfills the vessel until it runs over the upper edges of both end walls9a, 9b into the casing 1 from which it drains through the outlet 2.Normally the vessel 7 and the immersion tube 11 remain full of water upto the level of the upper edges of the end walls 911, 9b so as toprovide a good seal against gases and odors. The distance between thelower end of the immersion tube 11 and the bottom of the collectingvessel 17 is sufficient so that there is no obstruction to the free flowof water into and through the vessel. When it is desired to empty thecollecting vessel 7, the actuating knob 6 is turned in a clockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 5 so that the plate 16 is turned about theaxis of the shaft 17 in a counterclockwise direction a s viewed in FIG.3 (which is looking in the opposite direction) whereby the collectingvessel 7 is tipped toward the left to an approximately horizontalposition with its open top facing the outlet 2. Water in the vessel isthereby emptied into the casing l and flows out through the outletopening. After it has been emptied, the vessel 7 is returned to itsupright position by reverse rotation of the actuating knob 6. Ifdesired, spring means may be provided for returning the vessel to itsupright position.

In the event that an object, for example a finger ring, is inadvertentlydropped into the drain leading to the siphon, it is retained in thecollecting vessel 7 and in particular in the shallow pan formed by therim 10a. In order to remove such object from the siphon, the actuatingknob 6 is turned in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 5 sothat the plate 16 is turned in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2to the position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3. The vessel 7 isthereby tilted toward the right to an approximately horizontal position.With the vessel in this position, the water drains out slowly while theany solid object is retained in the vessel. After the water has beendrained out and discharged through the outlet 2, the closure 5a isremoved so as to provide access to the open top of the vessel 7 throughthe opening 5. Any object in the vessel can then easily be removed withthe fingers or with pinchers or other suitable instrument. After removalof the object from the vessel 7, the opening 5 is closed with theclosure 5a and the vessel 7 is returned to its normal upright positionby reverse rotation of the actuating knob.

In its tilting movement the vessel 7 does not turn on a fixed axis but,by reason of the manner in which the vessel is actuated and guided asdescribed above, the vessel 7 tilts about a movable axis by a combinedrotary and translatory motion. By reason of this motion and theconfiguration and proportions of the vessel 7, it is possible to tiltthe vessel through an angle of approximately I in each direction fromthe normal upright position) despite the extension of the immersion tube11 down in the vessel.

The siphon can be cleaned without disassembly by rocking the vessel 7rapidly back and forth by means of the actuating knob 6 while runningwater into the siphon through the inlet 13.

The siphon in accordance with the present invention can be readilyassembled by inserting the vessel 7 through the open end of the casingwhile the plate 16 is turned by means of the actuating knob 6 to aposition in which the cam of the vessel 7 is received in the recess 18of the plate 16. The casing is then closed by means of the end plate. 3.Conversely, if it is desired to remove the vessel 7 from the casing forinspection or servicing, this can readily be done merely by reversingthe assembly operation.

The siphon in accordance with the invention can be made of any suitablematerial, for example bronze, aluminum, zinc or a suitable syntheticmaterial. The necessary ribs, cams or other projections can be formeddirectly on the siphon parts for example by casting or molding so thatthe finishing of the siphon parts is very simple. The immersion tube 11can, if desired, be made of rubber or other flexible material.

The free and unobstructed flow of water from both sides of the lower endof the immersion tube 11 avoids the undesirable noises which frequentlyoccur with know siphons. Moreover, a small spring-loaded valve can, ifdesired, be provided in the shaft 17 in order to avoid the occurrence ofa vacuum inside the siphon in the event of a rapid flow of water out ofthe easing outlet Objectionable noises resulting from water being suckedinto the casing are thereby avoided. The valve can, for example be asmall spring-loaded ball valve.

In FIGS. 6 to 8 there is shown another embodiment of a sanitary siphonin accordance with the present invention comprising a housing 41 havingan inlet connection 53 at approximately the center of its upper side andan outlet connection 42 in the lower portion of one end. The oppositeend of the housing is closed by a removable plate 43. Opposite sides ofthe casing are parallel with one another while opposite ends areinclined so as to converge upwardly as seen in FIG. 7. In one side ofthe housing below the inlet 53 there is provided an opening to receive acylindrical shaft 57 which is fixed at its inner end to an approximatelyegg-shaped cam 56 lying on the inner side of the housing wall. Theportion of the housing wall surrounding the shaft opening is thickenedso as to provide a sufficicntly long cylindrical bearing surface for theshaft 57. At its outer end, the shaft 57 terminates in a square portion57a which is received in a corresponding square opening in the innerface of an actuating knob 46 secured to the shaft by means of a screw59. A sealing disc 58 between the housing wall and the actuating knob 46provides a fluidtight seal around the shaft. A spiral spring 60 anchoredon the housing wall and received in an annular groove on the inner sideof the actuating knob 46 acts on the knob when it has been turned ineither direction to return the knob and cam 46 to a normal position inwhich the smaller end of the cam 56 points upwardly. On the same side ofthe housing as the actuating knob 46 but somewhat lower and offsettoward the end opposite the outlet 42 there is an access opening closedby a cap 45 provided with a gasket ring 72 to provide a fluidtightclosure. The cap 45 is provided with a plurality of openings 70 whichare normally covered by a valve membrane 71 on the inner side of thecap. The membrane 71 is secured to the cap by a screw 72. The cap 45with the membrane 71 thus forms a valve which admits air to the insideof the housing to avoid the formation of a vacuum, for example by therapid fiow of water from the housing. Any noise that might be created bysuch a vacuum is thereby avoided.

In the housing 41 there is an immersion tube SI (FIGS. 6 and 8) whichextends downwardly from the inlet 53 into a tiltable receptacle 47. Atits upper end the inlet tube 51 is provided with an annular flange whichis received in the inlet connection 53 in such manner as to provide afluidtight connection.

As seen in FIGS. 11 to 13, the receptacle 47 has two parallel sidewalls47a and 47b while the bottom and opposite ends of the receptacle areformed by an approximately U-shaped wall 50 having upwardly divergingsides. The upper open side of the receptacle 47 is convexly curved(FIGS. 11 and 13). The receptacle 47 is of such width that its parallelsidewalls fit closely inside the parallel sidewalls of the housing 41.On the side 47b of the housing adjacent the cam 56 there are providedtwo spaced-apart, symmetrical raised profile sections 63 having convexlycurved edges 64 as seen in FIG. 13. Along its convexly curved upper edgethe receptacle side 47b is provided with an outwardly projecting rim470, the thickness of which corresponds to the thickness of the raisedprofile sections 63. On the other sidewall 47a of the receptacle thereare likewise provided two spaced-apart, symmetrical raised profilesections 61 having convexly curved edges 62 as seen in FIG. ll.

As seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, the receptacle 47 is disposed in the housing41 with the projecting rim 470 of the sidewall 47h ,resting on the upperend of the cam 56. In this manner the receptacle is suspended in thehousing without the bottom of the receptacle resting on the bottom ofthe housing. The inside width of the housing is only sufficientlygreater than the weight of the receptacle 47 that the latter is freelymovable in the housing and not sufficient to permit disengagement of therim 470 from the cam 56. On the inner side of the housing wall oppositethe actuating knob 46 there is provided a raised disc 67 in line withthe shaft 57 of the cam 56. The disc 67 cooperates with the curvedguiding edges 62 (FIG. 11) of the raised portions 61 to guide thereceptacle 47 when it is tilted by engagement of the cam 56 with thecurved guiding edges 64 of the raised sections 63 upon rotation of thecam by means of the actuating knob 46. On the inside of the housing wallop posite the actuating knob 46 at the upper corner adjacent the end inwhich the outlet 42 is provided there is a raised section 65 (FIGS. 7and 8) which has a profile edge 66 and is of approximately the samethickness as the disc 67.

The receptacle 47 is thus completely loose in the housing without anyattachment and is merely retained in position between the sidewalls ofthe housing by the cooperation of the cam 56 and disc 67 with the raisedportions 470, 61 and 63 of the receptacle. With the closure plate 43 andthe immersion tube 51 removed, the receptacle 47 can simply be insertedin the housing bottom first while the cam 56 is held in an approximatelyhorizontal position so that it can enter between the curved guidingedges 64 of the raised sections 63 while simultaneously the disc 67slides between the curved guiding edges 62 of the raised portions 61.The cam 56 is then turned by meansof the actuating knob 46 to a verticalposition as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 so that the receptacle is upright inits normal service position. The tube 51 is then inserted.

When the siphon is in service, the receptacle 47 is normally in anupright position as seen in FIGS. 11 and 13. Water entering the inlettube 51 from the washbasin, sink or other installation or appliancefills the receptacle to the level of its end walls and then overflowsinto the casing 41 from which it drains through the outlet 42. As thelower portion of the tube 51 is immersed in the water retained in thereceptacle, a gasproof and hence odorproof seal is provided. When it isdesired to empty the receptacle 47, the actuating knob 46 is turned in aclockwise direction as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 while to remove any solidobject that may have lodged in the receptacle, the operating knob isturned in a counterclockwise direction so that the object can be removedthrough the opening provided by removal of the cap 45. When theactuating knob is released; the receptacle 47 is returned to its normalupright position by the spring 60.

By reason of the form of the cam 56 as well as the guiding curves 62 and64, the receptacle 47 is not rotated about a fixed axis when theactuating knob 46 is turned but rather initially has a tilting movementuntil the upper edge of one end of the receptacle engages the immersiontube 51 and then upon further turning of the knob 46 the receptaclepivots about the point of engagement with the tube 51 until the straightportion of the then lower end wall lies approximately horizontal withthe bottom of the housing. The two end positions of the receptacle 47are represented in broken lines in FIG. 7.

The raised portion 65 with its profile edge 66 on the inside of thehousing wall assists in righting the receptacle 47 when the receptacleis returned to its rest position in that the upper outer edge portion61a (FIG. 1 1) of the corresponding profile section 61 comes to rest onthe guiding surface 66.

While in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, profilesections are provided on both sides of the receptacle, it can be shownin principle that the cam 56 in cooperation with the guiding curves 64is sufficient to give the receptacle the different positions describedwithout it being necessary to provide the other side of the receptacle47a with profile curves cooperating with profiles on the inner surfaceof the adjacent housing wall. Hence the side 47a of the receptacle canbe made plain and merely slide on the inner face of the adjacent wall ofthe housing.

While the air inlet valve has been shown as arranged in combination withthe closure 45, it will be understood that it can alternatively beincroporated in the actuating knob 56 or, as a separate valve member,for example a diaphragm valve or spring-loaded ball valve can be locatedon any suitable portion of the housing.

All parts of the siphon can be manufactured in simple manner as cast orpressed parts of metal or synthetic material whereby the parts, inparticular the receptacle 47 with its profiled walled portions, can beproduced in finished form so as to avoid machine operations.

It will be understood that the several features of the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings are mutually interchangeable insofar as theyare compatible. For example the spring return illustrated in FIG. 10 isapplicable to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 Moreover, whilepreferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in thedrawings and are herein particularly described, it will be understoodthat the invention is in no way limited to these embodiments.

What l claim and desire to secure by letters patent is:

l. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having an inlet in theupper part of the casing, an outlet in the lower part of the casing andan opening adjacent one end, a removable closure for said end opening, atiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet opening,an immersion tube extending downwardly from said inlet into saidcollecting vessel, actuating means for tipping said collecting vesselcomprising an actuating member on the outside of the casing, cam meanson the inside of the casing engaging a cooperating portion of saidvessel and shaft means extending through a wall of the casing to connectsaid cam means and actuating member, and means for guiding said vesselin its tipping movement, said vessel being tippable by said actuatingmeans from an upright position in which said vessel retains liquid tocover the lower end of said immersion tube to form a gas seal and anapproximately horizontal tipped position in which liquid is emptied fromsaid vessel into said casing, and said vessel opens toward said openingof the casing to permit removal through said opening of any objectsaccumulated in said vessel 2. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim1, in which said cam means comprises a plate fixed on the inner end ofsaid shaft means between a sidewall of said casing and said vessel andhaving a cutout, and in which said cooperating part of said vesselcomprises a circular cam located on the adjacent wall of said vessel andreceived in said cutout.

3. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1; in which said cam meanscomprises a generally egg-shaped cam fixed on the inner end of saidshaft means, and in which the cooperating portions of said vesselcomprises opposed symmetrical shoulders having convex edges engageableby said cam.

4. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which the side ofsaid vessel opposite the side adjacent said cam means is provided withtwo opposite symmetrical guiding surfaces, and

in which a disc-shaped cam on the inside of the adjacent casing wallengages said guiding surfaces to guide said vessel in it tippingmovement.

5. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said casing isprovided in an inside upper corner with a profiled shoulder which isengageable with an upper edge portion of said vessel to assist in therighting of the vessel.

6. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which avacuum-relief valve in the casing admits air to the casing in the eventof subatmospheric pressureoccuring in said casing.

7. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which a returnspring acts on said actuating member to bias said vessel to an uprightposition.

8. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said removalopening and said outlet are located at opposite ends of said casing andin which said vessel is tiltable in one direction from a normal uprightposition to said approximately horizontal position opening toward saidremoval opening and is tiltable in an opposite direction from saidnormal upright position to an approximately horizontal emptying positionopening toward said outlet.

9/ A sanitary drain siphon according to claim I, in which said casingcomprises end plate which is removable to permit insertion of saidvessel into said casing.

10. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having a top, bottom,opposite parallel sidewalls and end walls, with an inlet opening in thetop of the casing and an outlet in the lower part of the casing, atiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet openingand having opposite parallel sidewalls closely inwardly of saidsidewalls of the casing and a connecting U-shaped wall forming thebottom and end walls of said vessel, said ends being lower than saidsidewalls of said vessel and spaced sufficiently inwardly of the endwalls of said casing to permit tipping of the vessel in the casing, animmer sion tube extending downwardly from said inlet opening into saidcollecting vessel, actuating means including an actuating member outsidethe casing for tipping said collecting vessel and means for guiding saidvessel to impart to it a combined rotary movement and translatorymovement endwise of the casing in tipping.

11. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which saidactuating means comprises cooperating cam means between a first sidewallof said casing and the adjacent sidewall of said vessel, and shaft meansextending through said first sidewall of the casing and connecting saidcam means with said actuating knob.

12. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 11, in which said guidingmeans comprises cooperating cam surfaces on the inside of a secondsidewall of the casing opposite said first sidewall and on the adjacentsidewall of said vessel.

13. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which one end wallof said casing comprises a closure which is removable to open said endof the casing for insertion and removal of said vessel.

14. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which anupstanding annular wall on the inside of the bottom of said vesseldefines a shallow pan into which said immersion tube projects.

15. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which said outletis at one end of said casing and an opening with a removable closure isprovided adjacent the opposite end of the casing, and in which saidvessel is tiltable by said actuating means in one direction from anormal upright position to a position in which said vessel opens towardsaid opening with one end wall approximately horizontal and is tiltablein the opposite direction from said normal upright position to aposition in which said vessel opens toward said outlet with the oppositeend wall approximately horizontal.

16. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which said vesselwhen moved from a normal upright position by said actuating means firsttilts until the upper edge of one of said end walls of the vesselengages said immersion tube and then pivots about the point ofengagement of said end wall with said tube.

1. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casing having an inlet in theupper part of the casing, an outlet in the lower part of the casing andan opening adjacent one end, a removable closure for said end opening, atiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneath said inlet opening,an immersion tube extending downwardly from said inlet into saidcollecting vessel, actuating means for tipping said collecting vesselcomprising an actuating member on the outside of the casing, cam meanson the inside of the casing engaging a cooperating portion of saidvessel and shaft means extending through a wall of the casing to connectsaid cam means and actuating member, and means for guiding said vesselin its tipping movement, said vessel being tippable by said actuatingmeans from an upright position in which said vessel retains liquid tocover the lower end of said immersion tube to form a gas seal and anapproximately horizontal tipped position in which liquid is emptied fromsaid vessel into said casing, and said vessel opens toward said openingof the casing to permit removal through said opening of any objectsaccumulated in said vessel
 2. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim1, in which said cam means comprises a plate fixed on the inner end ofsaid shaft means between a sidewall of said casing and said vessel andhaving a cutout, and in which said cooperating part of said vesselcomprises a circular cam located on the adjacent wall of said vessel andreceived in said cutout.
 3. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim1, in which said cam means comprises a generally egg-shaped cam fixed onthe inner end of said shaft means, and in which the cooperating portionsof said vessel comprises opposed symmetrical shoulders having convexedges engageable by said cam.
 4. A sanitary drain siphon according toclaim 1, in which the side of said vessel opposite the side adjacentsaid cam means is provided with two opposite symmetrical guidingsurfaces, and in which a disc-shaped cam on the inside of the adjacentcasing wall engages said guiding surfaces to guide said vessel in ittipping movement.
 5. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, inwhich said casing is provided in an inside upper corner with a profiledshoulder which is engageable with an upper edge portion of said vesselto assist in the righting of the vessel.
 6. A sanitary drain siphonaccording to claim 1, in which a vacuum-relief valve in the casingadmits air to the casing in the event of subatmospheric pressureoccuring in said casing.
 7. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim1, in which a return spring acts on said actuating member to bias saidvessel to an upright position.
 8. A sanitary drain siphon according toclaim 1, in which said removal opening and said outlet are located atopposite ends of said casing and in which said vessel is tiltable in onedirection from a normal upright position to said approximatelyhorizontal position opening toward said removal opening and is tiltablein an opposite direction from said normal upright position to anapproximately horizontal emptying position opening toward said outlet.9/ A sanitary drain siphon according to claim 1, in which said casingcomprises end plate which is removable to permit insertion of saidvessel into said casing.
 10. A sanitary drain siphon comprising a casinghaving a top, bottom, opposite parallel sidewalls and end walls, with aninlet opening in the top of the casing and an outlet in the lower partof the casing, a tiltable collecting vessel in said casing underneathsaid inlet opening and having opposite parallel sidewalls closelyinwardly of said sidewalls of the casing and a connecting U-shaped wallforming the bottom and end walls of said vessel, said ends being lowerthan said sidewalls of said vessel and spaced sufficiently inwardly ofthe end walls of said casing to permit tipping of the vessel in thecasing, an immersion tube extending downwardly from said inlet openinginto said collecting vessel, actuating means including an actuatingmember outside the casing for tipping said collecting vessel and meansfor guiding said vessel to impart to it a combined rotary movement andtranslatory movement endwise of the casing in tipping.
 11. A sanitarydrain siphon according to claim 10, in which said actuating meanscomprises cooperating cam means between a first sidewall of said casingand the adjacent sidewall of said vessel, and shaft means extendingthrough said first sidewall of the casing and connecting said cam meanswith said actuating knob.
 12. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim11, in which said guiding means comprises cooperating cam surfaces onthe inside of a second sidewall of the casing opposite said firstsidewall and on the adjacent sidewall of said vessel.
 13. A sanitarydrain siphon according to claim 10, in which one end wall of said casingcomprises a closure which is removable to open said end of the casingfor insertion and removal of said vessel.
 14. A sanitary drain siphonaccording to claim 10, in which an upstanding annular wall on the insideof the bottom of said vessel defines a shallow pan into which saidimmersion tube projects.
 15. A sanitary drain siphon according to claim10, in which said outlet is at one end of said casing and an openingwith a removable closure is provided adjacent the opposite end of thecasing, and in which said vessel is tiltable by said actuating means inone direction from a normal upright position to a position in which saidvessel opens toward said opening with one end wall approximatelyhorizontal and is tiltable in the opposite direction from said normalupright position to a position in which said vessel opens toward saidoutlet with the opposite end wall approximately horizontal.
 16. Asanitary drain siphon according to claim 10, in which said vessel whenmoved from a normal upright position by said actuating means first tiltsuntil the upper edge of one of said end walls of the vessel engages saidimmersion tube and then pivots about the point of engagement of said endwall with said tube.